all posts post new thread

Barbell Muscle Stretching Research

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

Kenny Croxdale

Level 7 Valued Member
Some information on this has already been posted on this StrongFirst

Here is some additional information on to employ stretching to elicit a greater training effect and what to avoid.

Antagonist Hamstring Stretching Before Squatting

As per this research here's the...

Conclusion: Stretching the hamstrings immediately before each set of the back squat can be used to acutely increase biceps femoris thickness without impairing squat performance.

Generating More Power in The Agonist Muscles


Not only does it appear that the Antagonist Hamstring Muscle thickness is increased when stretched prior to the Squat, additional research shows after stretching the Antagonist Muscles, greater force is produced in the following Agonist Muscles.

Bench Press Example

Stretching the Lats (like hanging from a Pull Up Bar) increases force production (strength/power) when the Bench Press is then performed.

Agonist Stretching
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4e9a/32a0d2a97ba3e719dd74641dc2fe91af9c9f.pdf

Steve Freides presented some information on this in a previous post.

Other research studies have come to the same conclusion.

Short Agonist Muscle Stretches

A short stretch of the Agonist Muscles (15 seconds in this study) determined more force was generated.

As an example, performing something like a Dip Stretch prior to the Bench Press increased force production.

The article above, as well as many other, have determined that long stretches of the Agonist Muscle of 30 seconds or longer like a Dip Stretch, decrease force production in let's say the Bench Press.

As in medicine, "The poison is in the dose." The "Stretch Dose" in this case being the amount of time the muscle are stretched.

Long Antagonist Muscle Stretches

Antagonist Stretches prior to an Agonist Exercise appears to increase muscle mass in the Antagonist Muscles, as well as increasing force production in the following Agonist Exercise.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for sharing. I have sometimes found that a really quick mini stretching series (1-3 breaths per position) of agonists can help to bring me up to speed after a long day in the office. (For example doing a quick round of 9090 and straddle QL stretch BEFORE my S&S practice). And S&S also includes dynamic antagonist stretching in the warmup.
 
I always do stretching before doing any kind of workout it helps me in warming up my muscles and enhancing the blood flow to them. It has increased my performance in exercise, and helped me staying away form injuries during workout.

Stretching Before Exercises

Just to be clear., how you stretch determines if you improve or dampen performance.

1) Agonist Muscle Stretch

Agonist Muscles are the muscle used in the exercise.

a) 15 second or less will improve performance

b) 30 seconds or longer stretches damper performance; there is a loss of Maximum Strength and Power.

2) Antagonist Muscle Stretch

These are the muscles on the opposite side of the working muscles.

Lats, Posterior Deltoid and Biceps are the Antagonist Muscle to the Chest, Anterior Deltoid and Triceps and vise versa.

Stretching the Antagonist Muscle prior to an Agonist Exercise increases performance.

Injury Prevention

Multiple research show that stretching doesn't seem to reduce injury.

"People who stretched were no more or less likely to suffer injuries such as pulled muscles, which the increased flexibility that results from stretching is supposed to prevent, researchers found."
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom